ISLAMABAD -UNS: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Tuesday said neither the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had placed any restrictions on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) nor there was any move to dismantle it as a political party.
Interacting with media during his visit to Mayo Hospital, the prime minister said it was also the domain of the ECP to allocate election symbols to the political parties.
He further clarified that the caretaker set up would not commit any illegal and unconstitutional acts. The caretaker prime minister further elaborated that it was the government’s policy that all the big and small registered political parties had the equal rights and opportunities to contest the upcoming polls.
“Those who were raising apprehensions over provision of level playing field also have the freedom to make such claims,” he added.
To a question, he reiterated that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was a constitutional body that would give a specific date for holding of general elections in the country. He said the delimitation process was a constitutional requirement and the previous parliament had legislated over the issue while the constitution mandated the procedure to be executed.
The prime minister assured that the interim set up was ready to assist ECP in the process, adding that it was the fundamental mandate of ECP to give a date but the caretaker government could not dictate it in this regard.
PM Kakar reiterated that Pakistan was persistently raising the Palestine issue at the global fora and the recent horrible, condemnable and inappropriate aggression by Israel was leading to human catastrophe in Gaza.
He said that recently Pakistan co-hosted the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Organization (OIC) emergency session along with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over the issue.
The prime minister further said that during his interactions with different global leaders, Chinese leadership and the international media, he had highlighted the issue and in unequivocal terms, conveyed sentiments and stance of the government and Pakistani nation.
Pakistan would continue playing its role over the issue till its resolution, he reassured. Considering the current crises, he said Pakistan demanded immediate ceasefire and opening of humanitarian corridor. The caretaker prime minister said Palestine was a historical and chronic issue but there was no reason over the inappropriate aggression exhibited by Israel.
To a query regarding repatriation of the illegal migrants, the prime minister said they had categorised the illegal aliens into three. There were around 1.7 million registered refugees over whom the government was fulfilling its international obligations, but there were the foreigners who without any documentation, had been living in Pakistan for years and doing business, he said, adding these were the people who had not been visible in their system. He said that there was no perpetual ban on these foreigners, as they could return after completing their valid and legal travel documents and visas. They could come to Pakistan for seeking education or doing businesses and the government would facilitate them.
While the third category fell in the identity theft and over whom they had devised a mechanism to remove them from the database, he added. The prime minister emphasized that the government was focusing on the regulated movement.
